


Ghosts of Christmas Love

by Esper



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek Hale, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Eludes towards PTSD, F/M, Happy Ending, Kid Fic, M/M, Misunderstandings, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 10:16:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8840713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esper/pseuds/Esper
Summary: Derek and Stiles could build a great relationship if only they could stay together long enough to do it. Can some Christmas magic help them understand and connect with each other?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 12 Days of Sterek. Was much more busy than I anticipated this holiday season so it's not as long or as well written as I'd like it to be. A big shout out and incredible thanks to a close friend for beta-ing and editing it for me. Without them I'd have been totally lost. Happy Holidays!

Derek’s mouth was hot against Stiles’ own as their bodies tumbled down against the large bed in the master bedroom. A chaste goodbye kiss had turned into a lewd, passion filled lip lock in mere seconds. Stiles’ hand slipped under Derek’s shirt to caress his muscular front, letting out a groan into their kiss while he did. Derek was wasting no time himself, as one of his hands slipped down to Stiles’ ass and began to squeeze.

 

Stiles had a better ‘goodbye’ in mind than a simple kiss as he removed his mouth from Derek, pecking his cheek once, before moving southward. He was distracted on the way down to his goal by that muscular chest, Derek’s shirt still pulled up, exposing his Adonis physique. His pupils completely blown, Stiles stares for a moment before leaning in to lick between those abs.

 

Two things happen at once: Derek grabs Stiles by the shoulders and firmly pushes him back, away from his body, before he slides back three meters; staring with wide eyes.

 

It takes a few moments for Stiles to register what has happened, and when it does, he frowns as his brows knit together. “Why do you always… Pull away?” He asks, his voice cracking. “When you’re all hot and bothered, you have no problem doing anything. Rough, gentle, somewhere in between… But when I initiate, you pull away. Every time. Like you’re making a bad decision, like I’m something wrong.”

 

Stiles has said things like this before, but never all together like this. The man looks at Derek expectantly, wanting a response, a reason.

 

Derek stands there, his mind racing almost as fast as his heart. Both of his arms tremble; he wants to sit down. ‘It’s not the same.’ He thinks, repeats, over and over to himself. He realizes stiles is staring at him, wanting something with confusion and slight annoyance brimming behind his eyes.

 

“What?” He grunts out at Stiles, as if he hasn’t been listening.

 

“Fuck you! You pull away and completely ignore me. What, I’m only good enough when you’re horned up after a full moon? That’s when you can forget it’s me and just let go?” Stiles booms.

 

He always wondered if that was the case. It was all good when Derek was the one to come to him, horny and wanting. Stiles had enjoyed himself, no doubt, but he wants what they have to be more than just sex. He thought that’s where they were going, with the kissing and touching and almost-dates. But Derek always pulls away when it gets too serious, like he’s making a bad decision.

 

Derek is losing it. He can’t focus, his head spinning, hands trembling. Stiles is yelling  and he just can’t take it  right now. Why can’t Stiles see that? Why can’t he just give him a moment to calm down… But he just keeps yelling, anger and hurt flooded the room. Derek can’t take it anymore, his control slipping. “Get out. Get away from me,” Derek growls, eyes flashing red momentarily before he turns around to hide his lack of control.

 

“Gladly,” Stiles bites back.

 

Tearing his eyes away from the floor, Stiles turns and exits the room, slamming the door behind him.

 

The hammering of Stiles’ feet down the stairs reach the rest of the people in Derek’s - the Pack’s - house. Scott looks up, followed by Isaac and Erica.

 

“Trouble in paradise,” Erica sing-songs.

 

“That’s not nice. It sounded really bad.” Isaac has a worried look on his face.

 

“Should have known we weren’t going to be getting a tree tonight…” Boyd mutters.

 

“We should go talk to them. Usual groups?” Scott asks.

 

“Yeah, me and Boyd will go in a few,” Erica agrees.

 

“Let’s make sure he doesn’t drive off alone, Scott,” Isaac tells him, standing up.

 

The four werewolves had been relaxing in the media room. Erica and Boyd are cuddled up, limbs intertwined, on the loveseat. Isaac and Scott were both sitting in leather recliners. Die Hard played in the background, now forgotten.

 

“This is the fifth time now. They really need to get their heads outta their asses,” Boyd’s voice is firm.

 

“Tell me about it,” Scott says softly, shaking his head.

 

\----

 

“I thought we were really doing well. Y’know?” Stiles mumbles into a pillow.

 

Scott nods from his seated position on the bedside while Isaac gives a slight eye roll but his mouth stays in a frown. One of Scott’s hands rests against Stiles’ leg. Isaac feels like this chair has molded perfectly to his body as he shimmies down getting comfortable.

 

“I even had this silly idea that maybe I could, y’know, actually start living there with him. What a pipe dream.” He laughs, but the sound is hollow.

 

“Stiles, Derek is totally in love with you. He has been for ages! Since we were in high school!” Isaac insists.

 

“You know, you say that… But then this happens. It always happens. He told me to get out. To get away from him. He doesn’t care,” Stiles says firmly. “Do you think happy couples have to get their friends to stand in as therapists? Yeah, you two aren’t subtle at all… I do appreciate it, though.”

 

“You know we’re always here for you, man. Everyone is. Even Jackson, though it may not seem like it. He is. For both you and Derek,” Scott tells him.

 

“I really think this is it, Scottie. We can’t just keep messing around and then backing off. I honestly can’t take it. Does he understand it’s killing me?” Stiles laments, voice breaking.

 

Scott and Isaac share a look, both of them thinking about how wrecked Derek is after one of these fights. They let out sighs at how frustrating Stiles and Derek are. Boyd really is right; they need to get their heads out of their asses. Instead of saying anything, both men climb into Stiles’ bed to lay together with him until they all fall asleep.

 

\----

 

“He’s an idiot,” Erica tells Derek plainly, lounging in one of the chairs in Derek’s room with her arms crossed against her chest.

 

“He is not an idiot,” Boyd corrects Erica. “But he is completely dense in this situation. Why don’t you explain it to him?” the werewolf asks as he stands beside Erica.

 

“Both of you need to go away,” Derek barks out, sitting on his bed. “I don’t want you in here.”

 

“You know when you turned us into werewolves? We can hear when you lie now,” Erica reminds him.

 

“He’d understand, Derek,” Boyd insists.

 

“He’s totally in love with you, big guy. Like, so far gone. Why don’t you just open up. You told us. Why can’t you tell him?” Erica questions.

 

“He deserves better than me. I’m damaged,” Derek almost growls out. “You’re right, though. He’d understand. He’d be so great about it, accommodating and just plain awesome... Until he wants more, and I can’t give it, or we’re moving too fast, and then the resentment would begin and we’d just end up exploding.” A nasty tone takes over his voice, as he speaks almost too quickly to be understood.

 

“You’re such an idiot. Both of you are, actually,” Erica sighs.

 

Both werewolves see right through the walls that their alpha puts up, but resigning to fight the good fight another time, they join him on the side of the bed. Erica leans her head against his shoulder and Boyd sits close enough that their arms touch. Despite all of his hurt and anger, Derek finds comfort in his pack’s presence and eventually calms down enough to fall asleep.

 

\----

 

_ The sound of a baby's cry wakes him up. _

 

_ “It’s your turn,” Stiles mumbles into the sleeping form next to him, burrowing into the warmth he feels there. _

 

_ “It was my turn the last two times. It’s your turn,” the bundle of warmth answers, flinging the blankets off the other side of the bed. _

 

_ “Rude!” Stiles hisses, before hopping out onto the cold hardwood and padding into the nursery. _

 

_ After 15 minutes of rocking, the cries fade. An old Polish lullaby and the babe was back into a deep sleep. After putting her back down into her crib, Stiles wanders back into their bedroom. Sliding into the warmth of the bed, two muscular arms reach out to drag him back in. _

 

_ “Missed you,” the man tells him. _

 

_ “I was gone 15 minutes,” Stiles insists, but he burrows deeper against the man. “I love you, Derek.” _

 

_ “I love you more, Stiles,” Derek’s deep, sleep-filled voice responds. _

 

_ Their mouths find each others and after some sleepy smooches, the two men fall asleep in the dark winter’s night. _

 

_ \---- _

 

_ The second the sun is over the horizon, the day begins. Two small forms climb up the king size bed in search of the men sleeping in it. Small hands find Derek’s face, and a finger finds Stiles’ nose. _

 

_ “Daddy! Papa! Wake up! The sun’s out!” a boy’s voice booms in their ears. _

 

_ “Breakfast!” a girl’s voice demands. _

 

_ “Nooooooooooo…” Stiles tries to hide under the covers, but small hands seem to find him no matter how far down he goes. _

 

_ “Guess it’s time to rise and shine,” Derek chuckles, rubbing sleep from his eyes. _

 

_ “For waking your fathers up, I’m making spinach pancakes for breakfast,” Stiles threatens, scooping up the nearest child and hopping onto his feet. _

 

_ “Nooooo!” both small voices shriek, but the child in his arms is giggling too. _

 

_ “Noah, Aria, you two really need to learn how great it is to sleep in on Sunday mornings. Especially how happy it makes your daddies,” Stiles informs them. _

 

_ “Pancakes are more important than sleep,” Noah insists from Stiles’s arms. _

 

_ “Up! Me up too!” Aria demands, looking at Derek with a growing pout. _

 

_ With a fond sigh, Derek rises as well and scoops up Aria. _

 

_ “Let’s go grab your sister and get everyone’s teeth brushed,.” Derek tells them. _

 

_ Stiles winks at him, carrying Noah to the bathroom. After a few jokes about tossing him into the bathtub - much to Noah’s encouragement - he sets him down with a kiss on his forehead. _

 

_ “Blueberry or chocolate?” he asks Noah quietly, trying to keep the choice a secret from Derek and the girls. _

 

_ “Both!” Noah demands, reaching up to get his toothbrush. _

 

_ “How did I know you’d say that,” Stiles laughs, before heading back into his room. _

 

_ After grabbing his robe and slippers, he brushes his own teeth and heads downstairs. Sunday morning pancakes had long since become a tradition. Eyeing the clean kitchen, he pulls out two giant bowls from a cupboard. Thanking whomever resided above to the kitchen being stocked to feed 30, he begins making enough pancake batter to feed just as many people. _

 

_ Plugging in the two different electric griddles, he begins to cook the blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes. He tosses the cooked ones into a silver serving platter that reminded him of the containers buffets use to serve food, before putting them into the oven on a low temperature to keep them warm. Mid-way through cooking the pancakes, Derek and their three children file into the kitchen. _

 

_ “I can help after I get Laura in her high chair,” Derek tells Stiles. _

 

_ “I got this if you can set the table. Might as well set all the spots, you know everyone will be here sometime soon. They have a sensor in their brains for when these griddles get plugged in, I swear…” Stiles laments. _

 

_ Hiding a very fond smile, Derek goes to do what he’s told after getting their youngest buckled into her highchair. He sets the large kitchen table for 16. _

 

_ After the pancakes are all done and stuffing the oven, Stiles begins to cook pork and turkey bacon on one griddle and eggs on the other. Mid-way through his second wave of food, he feels strong arms wrap around his mid-section. _

 

_ “You make such a good housewife,” Derek tells him with a chuckle. _

_  
_ _ “Hey! I will have no gender stereotypes in my house, Sourwolf.” Stiles elbows backwards into Derek’s stomach. _

 

_ “I was kidding! Kidding!” Derek insists, leaning in to rub his stubble against Stiles’s neck. _

 

_ “Thank god you’re hot.” Stiles smiles, turning his head to give Derek a peck on the lips. _

 

_ “Dadddddds!” Noah’s voice interjects from the kitchen table. “No kissing at breakfast!” _

 

_ “Yuck,” Aria agrees, nodding. _

 

_ As if also agreeing, Laura hiccups and then laughs. _

 

_ Both Fathers look at each other, then at their kids, before bursting into laughter. The kids, however, do not look impressed. _

 

_ “Oh shit, my eggs!” Stiles exclaims, before pulling away to finish breakfast. _

 

_ Within the next half-hour, like clockwork, the pack begins to roll in. Scott, Allison, and Isaac are first. Stiles’ Dad and Scott’s Mom arrive next, trying to pretend like they weren’t together before arriving. Erica and Boyd come in from the guesthouse next. Lydia, Jackson, Danny, and Jordan arrive next, all together. Danny and Jordan were dating, but they didn’t want everyone to know yet. Of course, everyone knew, but nobody was making a big deal out of it… Yet. _

 

_ “All the puppies are here,” Stiles sings to Derek as he begins to move the serving platter to the table. _

 

_ Derek and Scott are getting cups, orange juice, and coffee for the table. “It’s because we keep feeding them, they’ll never leave now.” Derek responds with a chuckle. _

 

_ “I fed you for nearly 18 years, you can feed me every Sunday without much complaining,” John Stilinski’s voice booms in, chastising Stiles, before he grins wickedly. _

 

_ “Oh yeah, you fed me alright. If you had your way it would have been pizza and burgers every night! Which… Great for me. Less for you with your cholesterol! I mean really, who was the adult in those last few years?” Stiles waggles a spatula covered in dried pancake batter at his Father. _

 

_ John throws his hands up in a surrender, smile still wide. _

 

_ “You know, we could host dinner sometime,” Isaac says, forever trying to be the peacekeeper. _

 

_ “Nah. Derek secretly loves this, it’s his favourite day of the week,” Stiles says loud enough for the whole room to hear. _

 

_ Derek’s face blushes a deep red before he pinches Stiles’s ass - hard. _

 

_ “Shit!” Stiles jumps at the pinch, looking behind him. “Did I say that out loud?” _

 

_ “It’s not like it was a secret,” Jackson laughs from the table. _

 

_ “Definitely not,” Erica agrees. _

 

_ “Everyone loves Sunday breakfast,” Allison provides. _

 

_ The rest of the room nods in agreement, Stiles leaning up to give Derek a kiss of an apology. They all sit down next, filling the giant table up to the edges with plates, cups, cutlery, and food. _

 

_ Comfortable chatter flows across the whole table. Scott, Isaac, and Allison tell everyone about their adventuring into the fertility clinic to have a baby together. Erica and Boyd listen eagerly, wanting children of their own. Lydia begins to grill Stiles halfway through on the newest book he was writing - he never should have chose her as his agent. _

 

_ The kids last 15 minutes. It was a new record. Hyped up on pancakes, syrup, and OJ, they ran into the playroom. Every werewolf in the house - and even the humans, sometimes - could hear the rough treatment the toys were getting in that room. _

 

_ “Are we still getting a tree today?” Danny asks, looking around at everyone at the table. _

 

_ “Trees,” Boyd corrects him, mouth full of bacon. _

 

_ “Yes. Trees. There needs to be at least two down here. Big ones. Then one upstairs in the den. And one for Erica and Boyd’s suite,” Stiles lists off. _

 

_ “I thought you were kidding when you said ‘multiple trees,’” Danny responds. _

 

_ “Nope!” Stiles pops the ‘p.’ _

 

_ “How are we going to carry all those trees back?” Parrish asks. _

 

_ “That’s what the werewolves are for, of course. Erica, you can carry at least four, right?” Stiles asks, looking to her. _

 

_ “Oh, easy. Maybe just grab six and you can pick the best ones.” She winks at Stiles. _

 

_ “Let’s not get too carried away here,” Melissa interjects. _

 

_ “Mom, that really is the plan though, we can just carry them. Better than bundling them up on a bunch of our cars,” Scott tells her. _

 

_ “Think of the environment,” Allison and Isaac say in unison. _

 

_ Melissa copies John’s earlier admission of defeat, earning a chuckle from the sheriff. Arguing with these kids was near impossible. _

 

_ \---- _

 

_ The day planned out, things moved quickly from there. After finishing up their massive breakfast and cleaning up, everyone got ready to head out for their tree hunt. It was still before noon, but nobody minded. John and Melissa were staying back at the house to watch the kids while the rest of the pack went out on their tree hunt. Bundling up in winter jackets, even though the California winter wasn’t that cold, they all head out into the forest. _

 

_ It takes nearly three hours to find the right trees, and another hour to pick ones good enough to cut down. While sexy lumberjack jokes fly out of Stiles left and right, they manage to get all the trees they had set their mind to. _

 

_ On the way back, Stiles flips through his phone with Allison, Danny, and Lydia, looking at pictures from earlier that year. He and Derek had taken the kids to plant 20 trees in the preserve to make up for the Christmas trees they planned to take. The pictures painted a great scene and brought up great memories for Stiles. The organized outing quickly detoured into the chaos, ending up with Stiles chasing the kids while Derek single handedly planted the trees. _

 

_ “I love this time of the year,” Stiles says softly, looking behind him at the werewolves carrying the trees behind them. _

 

_ “We know,” Lydia tells him, though her eyes are still on the pictures on Stiles’s phone of the kids. _

 

_ “Your kids are so adorable. How is that even possible?” Allison coos over Stiles’ shoulder, looking at his phone. _

 

_ “They’re monsters. Adorable monsters. But monsters nonetheless,” Stiles insists. _

 

_ “They are pretty cute,” Danny agrees. _

 

_ “You and Jordan going to get some too?” Lydia asks, side-eyeing Danny. _

 

_ Allison and Stiles’ eyes go wide; someone was breaching the Danny and Jordan subject. They both fell quiet. _

 

_ “Dunno. Maybe.” Danny shrugs. _

 

_ “WHAT!” Allison and Stiles shriek in unison, shock clear in their voices. _

 

_ “Is everything okay?” Derek calls from behind them. _

 

_ “Yes, fine honey!” Stiles calls back to Derek. “What!” he hisses to Danny. _

 

_ “We’re doing pretty well. And he’s already past 30… It’s something to consider,” Danny tells them. _

 

_ “But you aren’t even officially together!” Allison insists. _

 

_ “Wait, what?” Danny asks, confused. _

 

_ “You aren’t ‘out’ to the pack! That you’re together, I mean,” Stiles explains. _

 

_ “What are you guys talking about? How could we hide it in this pack? Does everyone think it’s a secret? Is that why nobody talks to me about us except Lydia?” Danny glowers at Stiles. _

 

_ “But it was a secret! Someone… I forget who, but someone said it was.” Stiles is exasperated, now. _

 

_ “Never a secret,” Danny says simply. _

 

_ “I tried to tell you. Nobody listens to me,” Lydia says, running a gloved hand through her long hair. _

 

_ “Well, now I feel dumb,” Allison says. _

 

_ “Me too,” agrees Stiles. _

 

_ Danny laughs and slings his arms around Allison and Stiles, pulling Lydia in as well. It was hard to walk, but they all laugh. _

 

_ \---- _

 

_ After getting all the trees home and set up in water, everyone promised to return when it was getting dark to decorate together. Melissa and John were relieved of their babysitting duty and the rest of the pack all headed back to their own houses. Everyone watched as the sheriff and nurse climbed into the latter’s car and sped off together. They weren’t sneaky, not one bit. _

 

_ The task of getting the three children to go down for their nap - a late one, today - had been left to their fathers. Thankful for the somewhat exciting day and the fact that their grandparents had let them run off all their energy already, the kids went down pretty easily. _

 

_ Twenty minutes later found Stiles in the kitchen, baby monitor lodged in one of his pockets and a cup of hot chocolate and marshmallows in each hand. Going out onto the back patio, he finds Derek sitting on the swing bench waiting for him. _

 

_ “Did you ever think this would really be our life?” Derek asks him, accepting the mug of hot chocolate. _

 

_ “Not in my wildest dreams or fantasies,” Stiles answers him, sitting down against the werewolf. _

 

_ They both take a sip of their hot chocolate, shoulder to shoulder, enjoying their quiet time alone together. The smells of the preserve blow past them on the breeze. The sun hides low behind the canopy of trees, threatening to soon go under the horizon. _

 

_ “Better than anything I could have ever dreamt up,” Stiles says, breaking the silence. _

 

_ “Yeah?” Derek asks, looking over at his partner fondly. _

_  
_ _ “A million times better,” Stiles says fondly, turning his head to press his lips against Derek’s. _

 

_ The two kiss tenderly, putting their hot chocolates on the fence ahead of them. Wrapping their limbs around each other, almost in each other’s laps, they revel in their love and what they have created. _

 

_ A baby’s cry from the monitor in Stiles’ pocket breaks their time together. _

 

_ “Guess it’s time to get the kids up. It is pretty late for a nap,” Stiles sighs. _

 

_ “I can do it,” Derek offers. _

 

_ “Nah, you’ve worked hard enough today. I’ve got them.” Stiles leans down to kiss Derek on the forehead before heading upstairs. _

 

_ \---- _

 

_ The sun is just beginning to set as the pack begins to pull up the driveway. It’s not long before everyone is inside the spacious living room staring up at the largest tree of their earlier excursion. _

 

_ “You know the rule everyone,” Stiles tells them, eyes sliding to Lydia. “Once an ornament goes onto the tree, nobody can move it or remove it.” _

_  
_ _ “One time,” Lydia protests with an eyeroll. _

 

_ “You mean the time you waited until everyone was asleep and completely reorganized the tree into perfect symmetrical balance,” Danny chides her. _

 

_ “It looked marvelous.” A smile spreads across Lydia’s face. _

 

_ “Lights first,” Derek’s voice booms. _

 

_ Cheer spreads through the entire pack as they look at each other, the tree, the lights, and the decorations. Everything happens in a blur; Scott, Jackson, Isaac, and Jordan get hold of the lights and begin to spin them around the tree. Derek has to step in to instruct them on the proper way to hang lights; pushing a strand in along every branch and moving around the tree. It’s not long before the greenery is shining like a beacon with multi coloured Christmas lights. _

 

_ “Kids get first pick,” Stiles tells everyone, prodding Noah and Aria. “For clarification, I meant the kids whose age is still single digits.” Stiles side eyes Scott who had an ornament in his hands. _

 

_ “I was going to wait,” whines Scott. _

 

_ The entire room fills with laughter as the youngest Stilinski-Hales carefully pick out ornaments - Laura with the help of her fathers - and put them on the tree. Once the three kids are done, the rest of the pack descends on the tree with their ornaments. _

 

_ With lots of laughter, smiles, and only a moderate amount of growling and fighting, the tree ends up decorated. _

 

_ “It looks terrible,” Lydia says bluntly. _

 

_ “I think it looks fantastic,” Isaac provides. _

 

_ “Fantastic is right! Because it’s ours,” Stiles says, hooking his arm through Derek’s. _

 

_ The alpha’s fond grin is turned to Stiles before he leans down for a kiss. The kids surely would have protested at the display, but Aria and Noah had both fallen asleep on the couch. Laura was still awake in her bouncy chair watching everyone. _

 

_ “This really is the perfect night,” Stiles says softly. _

 

_ “Mmm,” Derek sounds, pulling his husband down to sit on the couch with him. _

 

_ “Let’s put on a Christmas movie!” Scott bounces excitedly. _

 

_ “As long as it’s not ‘Love, Actually,’” Jackson groans. _

 

_ “Black Christmas,” provides Erica with a smirk. _

 

_ “Kids are still down here,” Derek says sternly. _

 

_ “Christmas With The Cranks!” Danny suggests. _

 

_ The pack mulls it over and eventually decides that that is an acceptable option, especially since it was on Netflix. The movie begins and everyone settles down. Derek and Stiles cuddle on the couch where Aria and Noah had fallen asleep. Isaac and Allison sit on the loveseat with Scott sitting on the floor between both of their legs. Lydia and Jackson fill the papasan chair in the corner. Boyd and Erica pull blankets out of the closet and make a nest on the rug in the center of the room, pulling Laura from her bouncy chair to join them. Danny sits on the other couch with Jordan’s head in his lap. _

 

_ The movie is nearing its end when Derek slowly rises and pulls Stiles with him. Putting a finger to his lips, he silently leads his husband out onto the front porch. As soon as they are out and the door is closed behind them, Derek’s mouth is on Stiles’. Their kiss is heated--not the normal aroused kind of heat, but something else. Their mouths leave each others. Derek moves to Stiles’ pale neck to slowly bite down to his shoulder blade, sucking a deep red hickey on it. _

 

_ “Shit, Der,” Stiles groans. _

 

_ “I love you so much,” the alpha mutters into his husband’s skin. _

 

_ “I love you too, but let’s save it for upstairs, yeah?” Stiles wiggles his eyebrows. _

 

_ Derek scoffs, “Did you ever think our life would be here, like this?” he asks. _

 

_ “Not going to lie, I definitely kind of wished it would be? But I never really thought I could have this,” he admits. _

 

_ Stiles pulls Derek back up to kiss him once more, their lips softly pressing into one another. While still lip locked, Stiles moves them to the bench to get more comfortable. They sit like that until long after the first movie ends. _

 

_ “I love you,” Stiles breaks the silence. _

 

_ “I know. I love you more,” Derek informs him with a grin, pulling his husband closer. _

 

_ \---- _

 

Stiles gasps as he sits up in bed, breath coming in heavily as he looks around him. Scott and Isaac were on either side of him and he was in his bed at his Dad’s house.

 

“It was a dream?” he whispers, looking at the other werewolves to make sure they hadn’t woken.

 

His mind was racing. It was the most detailed and vivid dream he had ever had; quite possibly the best and happiest too. There was only one thing he knew and that was that he needed to see Derek. It didn’t matter if they were fighting or breaking up, he needed to see him.

 

Slithering out of the bed as slowly as he possibly could, he readied a lie in case the wolves woke up. He made it all the way down to the foot of the bed to slowly side to the floor and stand up before Scott began to stir. Stiles froze.

 

“Where you goin?” his best friend asks.

 

“Bathroom,” Stiles replies; it wasn’t even a lie since he had to go.

 

For good measure, Stiles walks into the bathroom and relieves himself. Checking at the doorway that Scott had fallen back asleep, he snatches up his keys and heads downstairs. Getting to his jeep as fast as he can, he makes the drive over to Derek’s.

 

The short trip felt longer than any road trip he could imagine, Stiles thinks as he pulls up in the driveway. Coming to the front door, he throws it open and heads up the stairs two at a time. Getting to the master bedroom door, he finally hesitates.

 

“Stiles. Get in here,” Derek’s voice booms from behind the door.

 

Stiles almost trips over his own feet as Derek speaks to open the door without another moment’s hesitation. Stepping in, he stares at Derek who sits on the bed staring at him.The silence was deafening. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Derek almost grunts, breaking the silence.

 

“Don’t be sorry, I’m the one who’s sorry!” Stiles yells, taking huge steps forward until he reaches the side of the bed. “It’s all my fault. I pushed you. I was just thinking about me and not you. Derek, I’m sorry.”

 

Derek’s shocked expression stares up at Stiles. “It’s both of us. We don’t communicate well.”

 

“We can get better at it,” insists Stiles.

 

“We will get better at it,” Derek says calmly.

 

“I know this may sound crazy, but I’m so positive that we can work, Derek. Absolutely positive. We’ll get through all of our problems and it will be awesome,” Stiles tells him with a smile. “I had this dream about us. It was so perfect, so realistic, more than I could ever ask for… I want that. I want it with you, Derek.”

 

“You had a dream,” Derek says plainly, eyes wide and boring into Stiles’.

 

“Yes. I had a dream about us. We had kids and lived here and Erica and Boyd were in a guest house and we were getting a Ch-” Stiles rambled.

 

“A Christmas Tree. Aria, Noah, and Laura put on the first decorations,” Derek said, finding it hard to swallow.

 

Stiles’ eyes went wide. “You… How did you know that? You had the same dream?”

 

“You made pancakes on Sundays and the whole pack came. Everyone bickered, but we were all so happy… It was like it used to be before the fire,” Derek’s voice broke as he spoke.

 

“How could we have…” Stiles’s voice trails off as something catches his eye from across the room.

 

Two women stand across the room in front of the open window; they both glow like the light of the moon. The women have teary smiles on their faces.

 

“Mom?” Derek and Stiles’ voices echo as they both look on at the ethereal women.

 

Both of their gaze snap to each other, then back to the women. The glowing figures smile wider, a single tear slipping down each of their faces. They both mouth something to the men before slowly disappearing.

 

“I love you too,” Derek and Stiles’ voices echo once more. 

 

Tears fell down their faces before they leap into each other’s arms to share their happiness and sorrow.


End file.
